"Hey, Ravi!"

Lou greeted the CIT brightly as she sat her tray down on the table. He had been seated alone at a table in the far corner of the mess hall. She climbed over the bench and sat beside him. She hummed as she opened her bottle of juice and took a sip.

"Um…" Ravi blinked. He glanced around the mess hall to see if anything else was out of place because Lou's presence at this table was not the norm.

He looked over to the cool table near the back of the mess hall. That's where the most seasoned counselors and the popular CITs sat, laughing and joking and occasionally yelling across the mess hall for a camper to behave themselves. He saw Xander and Emma seated at the cool table, chuckling at something Stephan had said. The new couple was sitting so close that they could've shared a spleen.

"I don't know why I keep getting the mac and cheese," Lou said. She sniffed the noodles on her fork and grimaced. "It tastes worse than it smells."

Ravi placed his own fork on the table as he turned slightly to face her and ask, "Why aren't you at the cool table?"

"The what?" Lou asked as she poked her meatloaf with her fork. She looked up and then glanced in the direction he was looking. "Oh, you mean with the counselors?" She smiled and nudged his arm with her elbow. "I remembered what you said the other night. Before the counselors' night out about sitting alone at lunch? So, I figured I'd sit beside you."

Ravi thought for a moment. Lou had skipped out the mess hall the other day cheering about CNO and he had mistakenly thought she was talking about a chemical compound. He had mentioned something about sitting alone, but he hadn't meant anything serious by it. Occasionally he sat with the campers or Mrs. Kipling, but he didn't mind eating on his own.

"That's sweet, Lou. But actually, I prefer…"

Lou let out a content sigh and interrupted him. "This is actually nice. I'm glad not to hear Stephan's pool party story for the hundredth time." She lifted her chocolate pudding cup. "I'll trade you for that slice of apple pie."

Ravi thought about telling her he was fine, and also that he liked apple pie better than pudding. But Lou was such a sweet person. Whenever he needed help with his CIT duties or had an embarrassing question about camp life, she never minded being there for him. Plus, she was giving him that bright smile that made his stomach feel weird. He always ignored that feeling.

"Sure," he said. He handed her the mini plate of pie and took the pudding cup. "Thanks."

"No problem, pal!"

Ravi tried not to look disappointed. Lou called everyone pal or bud. It was her country charm. But hearing her say that was a reminder of why he ignored the weird feeling in his stomach. He liked being her friend. And he didn't need anything like a crush making him weird around her and pushing her away.

He gave her a thumbs up and said, "You're welcome, pal!"